Close Quarters
by SaltyJak
Summary: For Timmy, gym was the worst class. He hated having to change clothes to pass, and he hated working up a sweat at SCHOOL, of all places... But with the 'assistance' of a certain redhead, perhaps he could find some semblance of a silver lining...


A/N: And because I'm insane, here's another story for V-Day. Although, it actually _isn't_ Valentine-themed(unless you count a certain redhead), just an idea I've been tossing around in my head for a while now, and I figure it's about time it got published.

* * *

"Last period..." Timmy Turner sighed out, his expression that of someone who was about to be shipped out to boot camp, to fight a war he had no stake in, to sacrifice blood, sweat, and tears, yet receive nothing in return, save for 'a sense of accomplishment'.

" _Worst_ period..." His best friend, AJ, let out a similarly despondent sigh, his eyes weary, and almost looking a bit nervous at the Hell that was to come.

The two, along with eighteen of their classmates, stood in the gymnasium of Dimmsdale Junior High; a massive, dome-shaped attachment to the main building, the walls forming a rough, octagonal shape at ground level. As far as gymnasiums went, it was fairly standard: retractable bleachers attached to six of the eight walls, two pairs of doors that led back out into the rest of the school on one wall, while the other held another two pairs that led down to the school's swimming pool and lockers rooms, while a third, singular door on the same wall opened into a large storage closet, which contained various sports equipment, wrestling mats, climbing ropes, and the like. The concave ceiling held various beams and girders that the gym teachers would attach the climbing ropes to, and here and there were overhanging lights, dome-shaped as well, which cast a sickly yellow-white light on the gymnasium floor below. At the apex of the dome was a small skylight, but it was far too small to let in any significant amount of light, hence the need for the hanging lights, else everyone would have to attend gym class in almost total darkness. Lastly, one of the eight walls held a scoreboard, though it went unused unless there was a big game going on.

"You two say that _every_ time! You do realize we have gym _every day_ , right?" Chester remarked in an annoyed tone, not _quite_ glaring at his two friends.

"Well what do you expect?" Timmy bent his arms at their elbows, clasping his fingers together behind his head. "We hate gym."

"So do _I_ , that doesn't mean I need to be reminded of how much last period sucks _every day_!" The blonde's expression visibly soured as he turned away from his two best friends and looked down the row of his fellow classmates, his gaze focusing on a few of the girls they went to school with. "Eye candy's not bad though..."

This prompted Timmy to look to his immediate left at the fourth member of their little group of friends, Tootie. "Meh… Guess you've got a point."

The bespectacled girl blushed a little at the unexpected attention from her crush, her hands gently wringing the hem of the light purple tank-top she wore. "Heehee! Stick to the script, Timmy! I'm supposed to be the one checking _you_ out!" She whispered out playfully, though still loud enough for everyone in the immediate vicinity to hear.

"Ugh, just get a room already!" Chester groaned out teasingly, rolling his eyes at his two friends, who were practically a couple in everything but name, from what he could tell. They almost always hung out together, went on 'friendly dates' involving just the two of them, and even slept over each others' houses on at _least_ a weekly basis. The only thing he _hadn't_ seen them do was kiss, but then again, he wasn't around them twenty-four/seven, either.

"Hey! There'll be time for a lover's quarrel later! Mister Stone's coming!" AJ announced quietly, prompting the quartet of friends to stand up straight and clam up.

In walked their gym teacher, known only by his last name, as none of them really had any interest in learning much more about him than that. Clad in what looked to be a track jacket and matching shorts, along with a pair of white sneakers and similarly colored socks, he was more stocky than muscular, and at five feet, nine inches; wasn't _particularly_ imposing in stature, but in personality? _That_ was another story. Rumors circulated around the school that he was a retired drill sergeant, and his way of speaking certainly gave credence to said rumors. "Alright, maggots! Any one of you who isn't in proper gym attire, step out of line and plant yourself on the bleachers, automatic 'F' for the day!"

On cue, a pair of boys stepped out of line whom Timmy recognized as Sanjay and Elmer. He and the rest of his friends had drifted apart from them over the years, and at this point, none of them even shared any classes with the two, further widening the rift in the friendship. A moment later, a blonde girl stepped out of line as well, wearing a yellow dress, what looked like black leggings under it, and a pair of bright, purple sandals, her hair a much lighter shade of blond than Chester's. _"_ _What was her name? Chloe, I think?"_ The brunet mused to himself, watching as the three outcasts from the line shuffled over to the bleachers and sat down near to the top.

"Right, seeing as how the rest of you are wearing what _passes_ for gym clothes, we can get started as soon as my teaching assistant gets here." Stone eyed the remaining seventeen teenagers carefully, making sure they were all wearing shorts, sneakers, and at least some variation of a t-shirt or tank-top.

"Teaching assistant?" Chester parroted quietly, turning his head to look at AJ, Timmy, and Tootie. "Why's this hardass need a teaching assistant? All he does is make us run laps or play ball while he sits around or does the occasional push-up. He need someone to keep count for him?" The teen joked, causing the rest of the group to quietly snicker.

"C-C'mon man! Hehehe! Mister Stone's gonna make us run extra laps if he hears us!" AJ whispered, his pleading tone undercut by the occasional chuckle.

"Agh! Sorry I'm late!" A familiar, all-too-friendly voice cut through the relative silence of the gymnasium, its owner jogging in from one of the doorways that led to the rest of the school, and all at once, the group of four friends ceased their childish snickering, their mouths now gaping in surprise.

"That's quite alright, we were just about to get started, Miss…?" Stone trailed off in enquiry, his voice tough, but understanding, much to the surprise of his students.

"Valentine. Vicki Valentine? I'm your teaching assistant today?" The redhead offered in a voice that was sweeter than sugar; the same voice Timmy, AJ, Tootie, and Chester recognized as the one she used to con the parents of the kids she babysat.

"Ah, I figured as much, you looked a bit too old to be going to middle school. Alright-" The gym teacher turned back to face the class. "Listen up! Miss Valentine is my teaching assistant this afternoon, so I expect you to show her the same respect you show me, else-"

"Tootie?! What is _she_ doing here?!" The bald teen whispered out harshly, his eyes wide in his head as he stared at his raven-haired friend almost accusingly.

"Beats me, I'm not her keeper." The bespectacled girl shrugged, the surprise at seeing her sister decked out in a loose-fitting tank-top and shorts, along with apparently _working_ at her school, having worn off. "Maybe she's doing this as a second job, or something."

"Gotta say, she wouldn't look half bad if she ditched that tank-top and just went with the sports bra..." The blond teen added, staring at his babysitter and holding his chin like someone who was appreciating a piece of fine art.

"Ugh! Can you _not_ check out my sister when I'm around?" Tootie crossed her arms and shook her head. "And you make it sound like me and Timmy can't keep it in our pants! How many girls have you checked out _this period_ alone?"

"More'n a couple..." Chester admitted with indifference, before mimicking Timmy's earlier pose as he bent his arms and interlaced his fingers behind his head.

"Never mind that! How about keeping fiery-haired _demons_ off the menu?!" AJ chastised his friend, a look of genuine horror on his face.

"I think you're being a little harsh, AJ." Timmy interjected, going to his babysitter's defense.

"Oh, don't _you_ two even start!" The bald teen glared at Timmy and Tootie, though not maliciously. "Tootie is Vicki's sister, so of _course_ she gets a break, and you… I don't even _know_ what you did, or if you're even telling the truth, for that matter! _Maybe_ you're just sticking up for her in case Tootie overhears something we say and relays it back to Vicki, what do you think of that?" He finished by pointing an accusatory finger at the brunet, though Timmy took it in stride.

"I _think_ you're being a little paranoid, and need to chill, AJ."

"Maybe I am! Maybe. I. Am. But at least as long as I'm paranoid that something _might_ happen, I don't have to worry about the rug being pulled out from under me when it _does_!" He crossed his arms and nodded, seemingly satisfied with his logic.

"Alright, now that that's out of the way, Miss Valentine, would you fetch the big bin of dodgeballs from the storage closet?" Their gym teacher's lecture and explanation of the day's activity at an end, Stone directed Vicki over to the wall of the gymnasium that held the three previously mentioned doors.

"Can do!" The redhead exclaimed, her tone chipper and friendly as she lazily jogged over to the closet, causing her to pass her little sister and her three friends. It was only at this point that she finally noticed them, and shot the foursome a quick smile, though each teen took it to mean different things.

"Yeah, your sister's hot." Chester concluded.

"I can't _hear_ you." Tootie insisted, her voice sounding a bit irritated as she gave her older sister a quick wave.

"You saw that, right?! If Mister Stone lets her play, she's gonna tear us to pieces!" AJ declared fearfully, looking back and forth between the faces of the other three.

Timmy simply waved along with Tootie, at the same time absently wondering _why_ his babysitter was working at his school, _and_ as his gym teacher's _teaching_ _assistant_.

Before long, a large metal bin; its sides composed of a net-like material, came rolling out of the closet, followed by Vicki as she pushed it along, the closet door slamming shut under its own weight behind her. She brought the bin to a stop just to the teacher's right, eliciting a quick nod from him as he scanned the row of students. "Hm… It occurs to me that, with _those_ three on the bench, dividing you all into two groups will leave one group a body short..."

This prompted the redhead to look over the seventeen teenagers as well, a fun idea popping into her head as her pink eyes fell on the four she most often babysat. "Think I'll play." Vicki crossed her arms, her lips curling up into a devious smirk.

" _You_ , Miss Valentine?"

"Sure." The girl responded with a nonchalant shrug. "I could use the exercise, and this'll even out the teams, won't it?" Vicki reasoned, turning her head towards the teacher. "My only condition is that _I_ get to be team captain."

"Great! Now she's gonna _intentionally_ avoid picking us for her team so she can pelt us with dodgeballs! I _knew_ this would happen!" Once again, AJ whispered to his three friends, which only served to earn him a pair of flat looks from Timmy and Tootie.

"And that prediction is different from how things normally go in dodgeball… How?" Tootie asked, quirking an eyebrow up at her bald friend.

"Heh… I wouldn't mind taking a few balls to the face for Vicki..." Chester muttered out dreamily, the other three shooting him looks that varied from incredulous to horrified.

"Why are we friends with these two, again?" The raven-haired girl facepalmed with both hands, muffling the groan she let out.

"They keep things interesting." Timmy chuckled, a wry smile playing at his lips.

He had to admit though, dodgeball was _not_ one of his favorite gym activities. More often than not, he and his friends were separated by the team captains, _along_ with the four of them essentially being 'leftover' picks, with Timmy himself usually being dead-last. Couple that with the fact that Francis had somehow made it to the same grade as them, and absolutely _relished_ in whipping dodgeballs at them, since the threat of expulsion courtesy of their principal had made bullying more difficult for him. All of this led to gym-and especially on dodgeball day-being the brunet's most hated class, a sentiment shared by the rest of his friends, though Chester had at least found a silver lining for himself.

So one could imagine Timmy's surprise when the first word out of his babysitter's mouth was her friendly nickname for him. "Twerp, Tootie. You're with me."

"Wha-? Me and Toot-Whoa!" Before he could adequately question the older girl, Timmy found himself yanked out of line and led over to the redhead by her younger sister, a few low snickers sounding from the rest of the class as the two took their places to Vicki's right. _"Okay…"_ He thought to himself, briefly looking at Vicki, then past her, at the other team's apparent captain: Trixie. "So..." He looked back up at his babysitter, his current angle and the looseness of her tank-top allowing him to catch a glimpse of the black sports bra she wore underneath.

"Tax write-off." She interjected, her arms crossed and gaze continuing to stare straight ahead at the line of Timmy's classmates.

"Eh… What?" The brunet queried in bemusement.

"Hah… I _know_ you're curious as to why I'm here, rather than at home, taking a nice, hot bath or something." Vicki at last glanced down at Timmy out of the corner of her eye. "I'm volunteering here as a tax write-off; loophole in Dimmsdale's city charter that- ...Look, it's a lot of complicated legal stuff. I'm not gonna bore you with the details."

"That's a relief." The teen snickered, which the older girl responded to with a roll of her eyes. "So why'd you pick me and Tootie first?"

"Tootie's my sister." She answered simply.

"And me?"

"Would you rather I hadn't?" Vicki glanced down at her charge again.

"I mean, I'm not _complaining…_ I've gotten in enough snowball fights with you to know how hard you can throw." The brunet winced. "I just… Wasn't expecting it; you being here _or_ picking me for your team."

The redhead responded with little more than a hum, her attention returning to her prospective teammates. "You. Goth girl." She nodded at a girl standing at the end of the row of teens, said girl's hair covering her right eye, her somewhat pale skin and the dark, skull-print tank-top and black shorts she wore very much falling in line with the title Vicki gave her.

"My name's Molly." The girl corrected her as she sidled up next to Tootie, though her expression betrayed little beyond indifference at the situation.

"Your teacher didn't provide me with a list of your names. I'm calling you all like I see you." Vicki shot back, though she made sure to speak loudly enough for the whole class to hear. "Let's see… Blondie, you're up-"

"We'll take Chester!" Trixie interrupted, pointing Timmy's friend out with heretofore unseen certainty, drawing the attention of not only the blond teen in question, but Vicki and Timmy as well. "And AJ!"

"No! I want to be on _their_ -!" Chester slapped his hand over the bald teen's mouth and slowly dragged him out of line. "Mm-Phm!

"C'mon, Brainiac-" The blond insisted, having noticed that Veronica was(unsurprisingly) on Trixie's team. "The view from our side of the court'll make it all worth it…!"

Vicky rolled her eyes, instantly picking up on what Chester was implying. _"Wouldn't surprise me at all if he decides to hang out_ behind _the Princess and her better half..."_ "Then… Strawberry Blondie! You're up!" She nodded at a girl with green eyes, clad in a light blue t-shirt and shorts, her socks pink and sneakers white, with the toe area a shade of blue that matched the rest of her clothes, the color of her long hair perfectly matching Vicky's description. "Sure are a lot of girls in this class..." The redhead muttered to herself.

The buck-toothed teen leaned over, beginning to whisper to his babysitter. "That's Missy, she and I-"

"No one cares, _Timmy_." Tootie cut her crush off in a loud, dismissive manner, her expression souring at the mere _mention_ of Missy's name.

"Ooh~! I know _that_ tone anywhere, Toots! _Somebody's_ jealous~!" Vicki sang out teasingly, causing her younger sister's cheeks to turn a bright shade of pink.

"Sh-Shut up and pick the rest of the people for the team already!" The bespectacled girl snapped back at the older Valentine, her face mere inches from Timmy's, though she was thoughtful enough to keep her voice relatively low.

"Soon as my fellow captain makes _her_ pick." The redhead settled her hands on her hips, beginning to feel impatient. _"Come_ on _. Class is nearly half over, and all I've done so far is fetch balls and stand around!"_

Eventually, the teams were formed, nine against nine, with each group spreading out on their respective sides of the white line that neatly cut in half the 'playing field' of the gym, itself having the dimensions of a standard basketball court.

Timmy, along with the other seven members of his team, took up positions on their side of the court, forming a crude circular perimeter around Vicki, who'd opted to stand just a foot or so forward of the center of their area. While he and the rest of his fellow classmates adopted somewhat bent-over and ready positions; however, their captain stood more confidently, seemingly sizing up the other team as she settled her left hand on her hip, her right dangling freely at her side. "You seem pretty relaxed." He stated the obvious from his position just a few feet to her left.

"Why wouldn't I be?" The older girl turned her head to face him, flashing her teeth with a grin just as confident as her pose.

 _Tweet!_

Mr. Stone blew into his whistle, the sound reverberating off the walls of the gym, and signifying the beginning of the game. Upon hearing it, the forward members of both teams dashed for the dividing line, hoping to snatch up as many dodgeballs for their respective teams as they could, and with only nine to be split between the two teams, things quickly became hectic, with Vicki's team only managing four dodgeballs, and Trixie's; five. "Aren't you, I dunno, worried about getting hit?"

The instant Timmy finished, Vicki's right arm snapped up in front of her, the girl's hand deftly catching a dodgeball that had been thrown at her by the rival team. "Not really." With that, she refocused her attention on the situation at hand, spinning her newly acquired weapon on her index finger.

" _Whoa."_ The teen thought to himself, slightly in awe of his babysitter's skills. He knew from her toned(though curvy) figure that she couldn't exactly be a stranger to exercising, and her speed when it came to running or swimming definitely emphasized that she wasn't _truly_ lazy, but still, she somehow always managed to surprise him with some new feat of skill. Where once he'd been a bit frightened by her near-preternatural abilities, he'd begun to admire her for them, with the past three years of them getting along playing a significant role in this change of viewpoint.

"You're out!" The drill sergeant of a gym teacher yelled, prompting a boy with curly red hair to grumpily shuffle out of Trixie's team's area and plant himself on the floor of the gym. "Miss Valentine's team draws first blood!"

"Woo! Go, Vicki!" Timmy heard Tootie exclaim happily from somewhere behind him, her exuberance bringing out a small, amused smirk on his face.

"You wanna try that again?" The redhead taunted, briefly locking eyes with Trixie as she tossed the ball she'd caught to Timmy.

"Ugh, I should've _known_ she'd be trouble..." Trixie muttered to Veronica, glaring daggers at the captain of the opposing team. "And why'd you want me to pick Tommy's two friends so bad, anyway? Are they even any good?"

"I dunno about AJ, but Chester's held his own in dodgeball before..." The blonde girl replied, looking over her shoulder at Chester, who in turn gave her a quick smile when their eyes met. "Heehee!" _"He's kinda cute, too!"_

"So why recommend that I pick him?" The dark-haired girl questioned, directing a sidelong glance at her friend.

"Because Timmy and Tootie might have second thoughts about knocking their friends out of the game!" Veronica winked at Trixie, both girls ignoring a ball that missed them by just a couple feet and collided with one of their teammates with an airy-sounding smack.

"Ouch! How dare you! You'll hear about this from my lawyers you… You uncouth reprobate!" A rather haughty voice declared, the teen it belonged to nursing his sore arm as he walked off the court and took a seat on the sidelines.

"That's Remy gone." Veronica remarked in an unconcerned tone of voice, neither her nor Trixie being particularly fond of the teen whom they found incredibly unpleasant. There was rich, and then there was 'eating food sprinkled with gold at every meal' rich, something they both found to be a _bit_ extreme, to put it mildly.

"No point lamenting the loss of cannon fodder." Trixie crossed her arms, her voice an indifferent monotone, despite her team now being down _two_ members, while Vicki's remained untouched. "Think we ought to lend a hand?"

"Hah!" The blue-eyed blonde jumped in front of her friend, catching a dodgeball and hugging it close to her chest as her momentum carried her across Trixie's line of sight. "Not just yet." She let out a quick breath, then tossed the ball to the large, oddly gray-skinned member of their team. "We've got a Francis, after all."

"That's a clean catch! You're out, Chris!" Stone yelled at a teenager with black, slicked back hair on Vicki's team, who shrugged before calmly walking off the court.

"Huh, your crush's better half isn't too bad, Twerp." Vicki called out, waiting to see if anyone from the opposite team would try their luck against her reflexes again.

"Veronica? She _is_ a cheerleader, so I guess you _sort of_ need to have quick reflexes… And can you drop the joke about me having a crush on Trixie? I'm over her, remember?" The brunet shot back defensively.

"And _who_ was it that recommended you _get_ 'over her'?" The redhead's lips curled up into a sly smile.

"Tootie, obviously." He replied simply, trying to ignore the knowing glance the older girl was giving him.

"Damn right I did!" The raven-haired girl shouted in confirmation, bearing a self-satisfied smile.

"And…?"

"Rrgh…!" The teen brought the arm holding the dodgeball back, then whipped it forward, sending it careening into the knee of Trixie's friend, Tad. "You did too! Jeez..." Timmy growled at his babysitter, only to catch sight of the proud grin adorning her face.

"Nice throw, Twerp."

"Tad! Or… Chad! Whichever one of you just got hit! You're out!" Stone yelled, throwing his thumb over his shoulder for emphasis.

"Keep that up, and we'll-" Vicki cut herself off midway through congratulating her charge as she heard the unmistakable sound of a dodgeball hit someone, prompting her to look up just in time to see that not only had said ball hit Missy, but it managed to ricochet off her and hit Molly as well, both girls crying out in discomfort.

"Ball remained in the air, I'm counting it as a double hit!" The gym teacher announced, instantly silencing any arguments before they could even be voiced. "You two ladies are out!"

Looking across the 'playing field', the redhead's pink orbs soon fell upon a familiar, gray face, now bearing a yellowed, toothy grin at having knocked out two members of Vicki's team. _"Urgh…_ Him _again."_ She scowled at the gray-skinned teen she once babysat, though it felt like it had been a lifetime ago. "That one been making sure to steer clear of you and Toots?"

Timmy followed his babysitter's gaze across the gym, and it eventually settled on the gray, ogre-like teen. "Who? Francis? Yeah, after what _you_ did to him… Not that that means much during gym." He frowned, knowing it was fully intentional when Francis 'accidentally' _whipped_ dodgeballs at him and his friends, or tackled them aside during basketball. "I guess it's still better than him beating the crud out of us though."

"Hmm… Well, if he's their best, we shouldn't have _too_ much to worry about, so long as we don't start throwing-"

Two of Vicki and Timmy's teammates; a blonde girl with her hair done up in a ponytail, and fastened with a pink scrunchy; and a brown-haired boy whose hair was buzz-cut, threw dodegballs at the opposing team, one at Chad, and the other at Francis. The first hit its mark, hitting Trixie's friend squarely in the gut. The second would have hit its mark as well, were it not for Francis quickly grabbing AJ and using him as a human shield.

"Agh!" The bald teen brought his arms up to protect his face at the last second, the ball hitting him with an airy thwack. "Ah… Least that one wasn't thrown by Vicki-Oof!" Francis released him, dropping the teen quite unceremoniously on his rear-end.

"Hey! Mister Stone, using your teammates to block shots isn't-" The blonde girl whined, jabbing an index finger at Francis, only to catch a dodgeball to the side while her guard was down.

"In war, you use any and all tactics available to you to ensure your side's victory!" The gym teacher exclaimed authoritatively, nodding for the three teens who'd been hit to leave the dodgeball court. "And in your case, Laura, I'd also recommend reading the battlefield before complaining about perfectly viable tactics!"

Laura, her face red and pouty, stomped out of the playing field, followed slowly by AJ and Chad.

"Argh..." The redhead facepalmed and rubbed her eyes in annoyance. "What I was _going_ to say was: 'So long as we don't start throwing dodgeballs like a bunch of...' Forget it, let's just make things simple. _I'll_ do the throwing. The rest of you are on reloading duty, got it?" Vicki briefly looked between her remaining teammates, while still keeping a close eye on Francis.

"Oh, so does that mean you're finally gonna _do_ something, Captain?"

All eyes fell on a somewhat scrawny teen with dirty-blond hair who'd situated himself near the back of the playing field, his arms crossed and posture confident, though he shot the older girl a sour frown. "You don't like me being in charge, feel free to make tracks and watch from the sidelines." Vicki offered, her voice even and neutral as she held out her right hand to accept the ball the teen was holding.

"Tch, whatever." He roughly tossed the dodgeball he held at the older girl, gritting his teeth in anger as she effortlessly caught it.

"Thanks!" Vicki beamed at him with a wide smile. "Now screw." She nodded toward the sidelines, her smile instantly fading into a scowl. "He quits!" The girl yelled, informing Stone of the situation.

"Acknowledged, Miss Valentine! Carl! 'F' for the day for abandoning your team!"

"Wha-!" The teen opened his mouth to protest, only to receive a dodgeball to the side of the head, the force with which it bounced off of him seemingly indicating that it hit with quite a bit of force! "Aow!"

"Hehehe!" Vicki snickered quietly, having followed the trajectory of the throw back to Veronica, the blonde having quickly adopted an innocent pose with her hands behind her back, gaze turned up towards the ceiling.

With the team now dwindled down to only four members, the three younger teens changed positions, with Timmy on Vicki's right, Tootie on her left, and the brown-haired teen; now known to the other three as 'Steve', taking up a forward position.

"You're really _that_ dead-set on winning this, Sis?" Tootie asked, wondering why her older sister seemed to be taking the game so seriously.

"What? You're not?" Vicki glanced over at Tootie, her lips forming a small smirk. "The teams are still even, four against four-"

"Ha-Wha-Whoa! No-!" The teen in front of the redhead jumped into the air to catch a thrown dodgeball, only to fumble it and drop it on the floor, the ball awkwardly bouncing away as 'Steve' silently watched it, his shoulders becoming more slouched with each passing moment. "Damn..."

"Ball made contact! Steven! You're out!"

"...Alright, so three against four. No big deal, you and Timmy have lasted _this_ long, right?" Vicki shrugged, bouncing her right leg up and down on the dodgeball she held against the floor with her foot. "You two just stick to the plan: keep dodging, and gimme any balls you get, I'll handle the throwing, and I'll catch any they throw at me, it'll be cake."

"Right. Cake." Tootie deadpanned with a roll of her eyes.

"Love the enthusiasm, Toots." The older teen shot back sardonically, her gaze drifting over the four remaining members of the opposing team. _"Alright, the Princess seems content to hang back and let her lackeys do everything, but she might as well be joined at the hip with that cheerleader..."_ She focused her attention on Veronica. _"And they must've told Blondie to move up..."_ She looked at Chester, who now held a forward position alongside Francis; something his wincing expression indicated he wasn't too find of. _"And then there's_ him _."_ Her attention shifted to Francis, his hair already matted, and clothes visibly stained, with sweat. "Ball?" Vicki directed the question at Tootie, while keeping her attention firmly locked on Chester and Francis.

"All yours!" The bespectacled girl tossed the dodgeball she held to her sister, then scrambled for another one that had rolled toward the back of her team's side of the gym.

Meanwhile, Veronica sidled up next to Trixie, who continued to stand in the relative center of her team's area with an indifferent expression, and pose to match. "What is this, high noon in some western?" The blonde muttered to her friend, wondering why the normally hectic game had been reduced to almost a standstill.

"Because that _woman_ is taking a tactical approach." Trixie leaned over to whisper in Veronica's ear, her emphasis on the word 'woman' oddly venomous. "And as much as I'd like for this to just be over and done with, I _also_ want to _win_."

Veronica quirked an eyebrow up at this, her blue eyes briefly glancing back across the gym at Timmy, Tootie, and Vicki. "...It's just a game of dodgeball, Trixie."

"That may be, but you and I have a certain… Image, to keep up. It wouldn't do for us to be beaten by Theodore and that nerdy girl, even if _she_ gives them an unfair advantage."

"You… Meant Timmy, right?" Veronica queried, a bemused little smirk playing at her lips.

"Right! ...What did I say?"

"Five minutes to the bell! Let's see some hustle out there!" Stone announced, with Timmy's many classmates on the sidelines already beginning to stand up or stretch, all of them visibly relieved that they'd soon be free from the prison known as 'school'.

"Get ready, Twerp!" The redhead exclaimed, throwing the ball she held at Francis, only for the gray teen to repeat his earlier action, this time snatching Chester by the sleeve of his t-shirt and pulling him in front of him to block the ball.

"Agh-Dude! You do this every-Gah!" The blond male teen instinctively brought his hands up to cover his face, the dodgeball thrown by his babysitter smacking into his forearms as he did.

"Ball!" Vicki yelled, prompting Timmy to toss her a second dodgeball, which she quickly threw at her target again as he released his human shield.

"Whoa!" Francis sidestepped, the ball just _barely_ missing him, in turn drawing his attention to said ball as it loudly smacked against the wall of the gym behind him.

"And one more…!" Vicki lifted her foot off the other dodgeball she had and swept her leg back, nearly raising her foot over her head as a result, then kicked her leg forward with all her might, sending the ball careening towards Francis just as he turned to face her again, causing this final dodgeball to hit its mark, the force knocking the wind out of the bully as the high-velocity ball collided with his gut.

"Hey!" Trixie cried out angrily, her best chance at winning the game currently clutching his stomach in discomfort. "Mister Stone, I thought this was _dodge_ ball, not kickball!"

"Ha! Right you are, Miss Tang, but that meeting of tactics between yours and Miss Valentine's teams was goddamned inspiring! I'll allow it this one time, but Miss Valentine? No repeats; dodgeballs are meant to be thrown, not-"

 _Ding~!_

The loud, droning sound of the sound of the school's automated bell rang out, the noise bouncing off the gym walls and creating a pseudo-echo throughout, much to the relief of the students within.

"Agh! My watch must be slow… Looks like that's it for today!" Stone yelled, his tone audibly annoyed at having to cut what he saw as an exciting game, short. "Victory by technicality to Miss Valentine's team, since they've still got three bodies, to Miss Tang's two!"

"Ugh..." Trixie brought her right hand up and pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance, doing her best to stifle the urge to loudly and _angrily_ protest her gym teacher's verdict.

"Don't sweat it, Trixie! Neither of _us_ got knocked out, after all!" Veronica stepped over to her friend, her hand reaching out to affectionately rub the dark-haired girl's shoulder.

"Hah… I guess." Trixie sighed out and ran her and through her hair. The blonde's statement didn't _really_ make her feel better about losing the game, but she cracked a slight smirk, appreciating the gesture all the same.

Meanwhile, Timmy, Tootie, and Vicki visibly relaxed their postures, the three letting out a trio of relieved sighs as they basked in their victory. "Wow, we actually won for a change!" Timmy beamed at his two teammates, the rest of his classmates eagerly filing out of the gym.

"Was there any doubt with yours truly on your side?" The redhead questioned haughtily, laying the palm of her hand against her chest in somewhat dramatic fashion.

"Eh… Yeah, I guess you helped…!" The brunet shot his babysitter a wide, ear-to-ear smile, his eyes blinking closed.

"And me!" Tootie popped up next to her crush, gently butting her shoulder against his.

"Oh, of _course_. You two had it _all_ under control, right Twerp?" The older teen shifted her hands to her hips, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "We'll just ignore the fact that I pretty much _carried_ the team during the last half of the game."

" _Or_ , we could just agree that the three of us work really well together and leave it at that." Tootie offered, a degree of insistence in her tone as she looked back and forth between her sister and best friend.

"Miss Valentine!" The gym teacher called, prompting Vicki to turn her attention to the middle-aged man. "I've got a conference to get to, and then I'm heading home, would you mind cleaning up the dodgeballs and returning them to the storage closet?"

The two teens followed their babysitter over to Stone, coming to a stop as Vicki did.

"Sure! I don't need to lock anything up?" As before, the redhead spoke in her sweeter-than-sugar voice, a big, happy smile adorning her face.

"No, no. Just put the balls back in the bin and return it to the closet, then leave when you're ready." Mister Stone chuckled.

"Mind if I… Appropriate some help?" She nodded at the two teens standing behind her, dual looks of betrayal appearing on their faces.

"N-Not it!" Tootie exclaimed, nearly bouncing in place to ensure she was heard.

"Not-! ...Shit." The brunet cursed under his breath, eliciting a quiet fit of giggles from his raven-haired friend.

"Turner, looks like you're up!" The teacher nodded at his student, before turning back to Vicki. "He probably won't have time to make the bus if he stays to help you, do you mind giving him a ride home?"

"Of course not!" Vicki chirped enthusiastically, taking a step back to ruffle her charge's hair. "He's in good hands!"

"Very well. I appreciate the assistance, Miss Valentine." Stone at last pulled an about-face and made for the exit of the gym.

"Well..." Tootie began, her lips quivering as she tried to hide her grin. "See you at home, Sis! Text me later, Timmy!" With that, the girl darted off, making a beeline for the doors that led to the gym's locker room.

"Really feeling the love, Toots..." The older girl remarked in a sarcastic monotone, her gaze slowly drifting over to Timmy, who frowned at her dejectedly. "Oh don't give me that look, I'm already giving you a ride home, and… I'll make it up to you! ...Somehow."

"Mngh..." The teen grumbled to himself, before sighing in resignation. He then turned to face her, giving the girl's figure a quick once-over. _"Could do worse for company..."_

"Now, to make this easy..." Vicki trailed off in contemplation, bringing her right hand up to cup her chin while holding her elbow with her left. "I'll stay by the bin, and you throw me the dodgeballs, sound fair?"

"Alright." Timmy agreed, bounding into a lazy jog towards the first ball.

"So I'm gonna guess you're not a big fan of gym, Twerp?" She called across the gymnasium, while at the same time moving to gather up the few dodgeballs that had ended up close by.

"It's just exhausting to swim or run around at the end of the day, that's all." He grabbed the first of the several colorful balls, lightly tossing it so it bounced across the floor towards his babysitter. "I wouldn't mind it so much if it was right after lunch, or closer to the middle of the school day." The brunet gathered up two more dodgeballs, this time opting to roll them back towards the bin.

"But I'm willing to bet you'd _rather_ not have to go to gym at all, right?" Vicki asked, returning three nearby dodgeballs to the bin, along with the second trio that Timmy had sent her way.

"If I had the _choice_ , yeah." Timmy scooped up another pair of dodgeballs and began to make his way back over to the redhead, noticing the last ball was right by their destination: the closet. "But gym's one of those classes you 'need' to graduate, unless you've got a note from your doctor, or something."

" _Or_ if you're like me, and can just intimidate people or sweet-talk your way into getting whatever you want." The girl remarked proudly, shooting her charge an equally prideful smile.

The teen looked away, his babysitter's smile and slightly disheveled appearance from the dodgeball game making him feel… Awkward, somehow, and this in turn made his cheeks adopt a rosy, pink hue.

"Anyway, toss those two in and get the door for me." Vicki pushed the bin towards the storage closet, prompting Timmy to do as he was told before jogging ahead of her, the teen snatching up the final dodgeball and then pulling the door open. "Such a gentleman!" She teased, pushing the bin past her charge and into the closet until it was flush against the wall. "Alright, toss me the last one… Oh! But make sure you-"

 _Ker-Slam!_

The sound of the closet door slamming shut caused Vicki to instantly spin around on her heel and face Timmy, who now stood just inside the closet with her, dodgeball still in hand as he looked at her quizzically. "What?"

The redhead facepalmed, the collision producing a light smacking sound. "-Hold the door so we don't get locked in..."

"Huh? What do you-?" Tossing the final ball into the bin, Timmy twisted around to look at the door, the color slowly draining from his face as he stared at the steel-gray door, which he quickly realized was nearly featureless; no handle, push-bar, not even a keyhole or lock. "We-We're locked in?!" He gave the door a light push with one hand, then braced both hands against it and pushed with all his might, still to no avail.

"Agh! ...Don't bother, Twerp. That door's practically solid steel; it ain't budging." The older girl pinched the bridge of her nose, silently cursing herself for not speaking up just a few seconds sooner. "Best get comfortable, something tells me we're gonna be here a while..."


End file.
